The Number One Fight New Parents Have (And How to Avoid It)

The number one fight new parents have isn't about money or in-laws. It's who does what and whether it feels fair. Dr. Heena Manglani-Terranova shares the five exercises she walks every pregnant couple through in her practice: mapping how your identity is about to shift, dividing the load as two full owners instead of one manager and one helper, designing a fourth trimester that feels supportive instead of controlling, building tiny new rituals that protect your relationship once the baby arrives, and creating a shared vision for the family you're actually building together. Nearly two thirds of couples report a real dip in marital satisfaction in the first two years after having a baby. This episode is for the couples who want to be in the other third. 0:00 Intro: What No One Preps You for 3:52 Why Relationship Satisfaction Dips After Baby 5:58 Exercise 1: The Identity Pie 8:41 Exercise 2: Divide the Load as Two Owners 16:04 Exercise 3: Design Your Fourth Trimester 23:22 Exercise 4: Create New Rituals 30:11 Exercise 5: Build Your Shared Meaning 36:35 Takeaways and Recap Templates for every exercise, plus the questions Dr. Heena and her own partner used to prepare their marriage, are at desi-dramas.com. New episodes every Tuesday. If you're expecting or know someone who is, this is the episode to send them, alongside all the other support you are providing because we need all the help we can get during this transition.